In the digital era of finance, consumer borrowing and lending have proven to be one of the most significant use cases for digital currencies like bitcoin (BTC), ether (ETH), and stablecoins such as USD Coin (USDC).
As we move on from the economic woes brought upon us by the Covid-19 pandemic, people are beginning to take notice of crypto lending platforms. For those without excellent credit, as is required when seeking a loan, new options are available in the realm of digital currencies. They have managed to disrupt traditional finance as we know it. Now anyone, anywhere in the world, can access peer-to-peer and non-traditional borrowing platforms built on blockchain technologies, introducing the world to a new democratic and decentralized means of engaging with finance.
Here’s a look at our top bitcoin and altcoin lending platforms on the market.
| Name | Description | Ease of Use | Minimum Loan Amount | Collateral Required | Customer Service | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CoinLoan | CoinLoan is a peer-to-peer lending marketplace, where lenders can deposit fiat currency to accrue interest, while borrowers deposit cryptocurrency and then take out loans in fiat. Collateral levels can be as low as 5% and there is no maximum loan amount. The CoinLoan platform is available globally for both lenders and borrowers. | 5 | 50 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Celsius | Celcius allows users to take low-interest loans in fiat, or to store cryptocurrencies and earn interest rates of more than 7% annually. Started in July 2018, it’s already handed out over $600 million in loans. Celcius charges no origination or closing fees, no penalties, no early termination fees, and no default fees. The platform has not liquidated or repossessed a single loan since launching. | 5 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| Binance | World-leading cryptocurrency exchange Binance has two types of lending products. The first is Fixed Deposits, in which users lock their funds for a set period of time for a set interest rate. The second is Flexible Deposits, and this allows users to withdraw their funds whenever they like, but the interest rates will also change. | 5 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 4.5 |
| Aave | Formerly ETHLend, Aaave is an open-source non-custodial liquidity protocol that allows users to earn interest on deposits as well as borrow assets. As a decentralized finance (DeFi) platform, Aave runs on the Ethereum blockchain, leveraging smart contracts to enable assets to be managed by a distributed network of computers.
As it is decentralized, users do not need to trust or require the trust of institutions or decision-makers who control finances. Instead, the trust is built by borrowers who must post collateral before they can borrow, allowing them to borrow only up to the value of their submitted collateral. Borrowers receive funds in the form of a special token known as an aToken, a digital currency pegged to the value of another asset. |
5 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 4.5 |
| Bitfinex | Bitfinex is a cryptocurrency exchange, but since 2016 it’s given users the ability to lend both fiat and digital assets to others through its Margin Funding program. The Bitfinex margin funding market provides a secure way to earn interest on fiat and digital assets by providing funding to traders wanting to trade with leverage. Users can offer funding across a wide range of currencies and assets, at the rate and duration of their choice. In addition to this, users can use the Auto-Renew feature to renew offers automatically upon expiry. | 5 | 50 | 4 | 4 | 4.5 |
| BlockFi | BlockFi allows users to earn interest of up to 8.6% annually on their bitcoin and Ethereum. Borrowers can make payments in either crypto or fiat currencies and loans are available to residents of most countries worldwide. | 4 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 4.5 |
| NEXO | Nexo is backed by European fintech company Credissimo and specializes in instant loans and lines of credit based on crypto deposits which can earn up to 12% interest. One of the superior features of Nexo is the instant availability of fiat after crypto is deposited. Users also appreciate the Nexo debit card and the ability to deposit directly to a bank account. This means assets can be spent immediately. The platform works with 18 cryptocurrencies in addition to bitcoin, and loans can be made in over 45 different fiat currencies. | 4 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 4.5 |
| SALT | Salt Lending is one of the oldest blockchain-based bitcoin and stablecoin lenders. It has its own cryptocurrency called SALT which is used to purchase a membership to the platform, allowing users to access the loan platform. Loans are given based on bitcoin and other altcoin deposits and the collateral ranges from 30% to 70%. Interest rates can be as low as 5.99%. Lenders are required to be Accredited Investors under SEC regulations, as well as to be able to pass a SALT Lending Sustainability test. | 5 | 5000 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Bitbond | Bitbond is peer-to-peer lending that works on the bitcoin blockchain and allows users to borrow as much as $25,000. The target borrowers are small businesses, particularly online e-commerce companies as Shopify store owners, Amazon sellers, and eBay sellers. Loan durations of 6 weeks to 12 months are available to many countries across the globe. | 3 | 50 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Poloniex | Poloniex is one of the leading cryptocurrency exchanges. In addition to its exchange and margin services, it also allows its traders to lend their coins to others, setting the interest rate and duration of the loan. Because the lending is being done to cover margin positions on the exchange, lenders could face more risk here, especially in volatile markets. Margin maintenance levels are quite low, exposing lenders to the threat of a default. | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 4 |
| Unchained Capital | Unchained was founded by people who believe that cryptocurrencies have the potential to change the world, but only if they’re useful. These folks decided to build financial products for long-term crypto-investors to get more value from their assets today and in the future. That led to the Unchained lending platform, which is unique since it allows users to maintain control of their bitcoin private keys, as well as crypto custody and Bitcoin purchasing resources. Using a cold storage vault and multi-sig technology, any coins stored at Unchained remain as secure as possible and completely in control of the owner. | 4 | 10000 | 4 | 5 | 3.5 |
| Lendingblock | Through one exchange, lenders and borrowers of digital assets have access to securities lending in the crypto markets. Details of all loans are shown on the Lendingblock order book. Built for institutional investors, Lendingblock enables hedge funds, exchanges, asset managers, traders, miners, and market makers to find liquidity, generate additional yield, facilitate arbitrage strategies, settle shorts, and capture directional views of market participants. Lendingblock supports numerous major cryptocurrencies and stablecoins such as Bitcoin and Tether for use as either principal or collateral. | 3 | 40000 | 3 | 5 | 3 |
CoinLoan
CoinLoan is a peer-to-peer lending marketplace, where lenders can deposit fiat currency to accrue interest, while borrowers deposit cryptocurrency and then take out loans in fiat. Collateral levels can be as low as 5% and there is no maximum loan amount. The CoinLoan platform is available globally for both lenders and borrowers. BMJ Score: 5.0
Celsius
Celcius allows users to take low-interest loans in fiat, or to store cryptocurrencies and earn interest rates of more than 7% annually. Started in July 2018, it’s already handed out over $600 million in loans. Celcius charges no origination or closing fees, no penalties, no early termination fees, and no default fees. The platform has not liquidated or repossessed a single loan since launching. BMJ Score:5.0
Binance
World-leading cryptocurrency exchange Binance has two types of lending products. The first is Fixed Deposits, in which users lock their funds for a set period of time for a set interest rate. The second is Flexible Deposits, and this allows users to withdraw their funds whenever they like, but the interest rates will also change. BMJ Score: 4.5
Aave
Aaave is an open-source non-custodial liquidity protocol that allows users to earn interest on deposits as well as borrow assets. As a decentralized finance (DeFi) platform, Aave runs on the Ethereum blockchain, leveraging smart contracts to enable assets to be managed by a distributed network of computers. As it is decentralized, users do not need to trust or require the trust of institutions or decision-makers who control finances. Instead, the trust is built by borrowers who must post collateral before they can borrow, allowing them to borrow only up to the value of their submitted collateral. Borrowers receive funds in the form of a special token known as an aToken, a digital currency pegged to the value of another asset. BMJ Score: 4.5
Bitfinex
Bitfinex is a cryptocurrency exchange, but since 2016, it’s given users the ability to lend both fiat and digital assets to others through its Margin Funding program. The Bitfinex margin funding market provides a secure way to earn interest on fiat and digital assets by providing funding to traders wanting to trade with leverage. Users can offer funding across a wide range of currencies and assets at the rate and duration of their choice. In addition to this, users can use the Auto-Renew feature to renew offers automatically upon expiry. BMJ Score: 4.5
BlockFi
BlockFi allows users to earn interest of up to 8.6% annually on their bitcoin and ether. Borrowers can make payments in either crypto or fiat currencies, and loans are available to residents of most countries worldwide. BMJ Score: 4.5
NEXO
Nexo is backed by European fintech company Credissimo and specializes in instant loans and lines of credit based on crypto deposits. One of the superior features of Nexo is the instant availability of fiat after crypto is deposited. Users also appreciate the Nexo debit card and the ability to deposit directly to a bank account. This means assets can be spent immediately. The platform works with 18 cryptocurrencies in addition to bitcoin, and loans can be made in over 45 different fiat currencies. BMJ Score:4.5
SALT
Salt Lending is one of the oldest blockchain-based bitcoin and stablecoin lenders. It has its own cryptocurrency called SALT which is used to purchase a membership to the platform, allowing users to access the loan platform. Loans are given based on bitcoin and other altcoin deposits and the collateral ranges from 30% to 70%. Interest rates can be as low as 5.99%. Lenders are required to be Accredited Investors under SEC regulations, as well as to be able to pass a SALT Lending Sustainability test. BMJ Score:4.0
Bitbond
Bitbond is peer-to-peer lending that works on the Bitcoin blockchain and allows users to borrow as much as $25,000. The target borrowers are small businesses, particularly online e-commerce companies as Shopify store owners, Amazon sellers, and eBay sellers. Loan durations of 6 weeks to 12 months are available to many countries across the globe. BMJ Score: 4.0
Poloniex
Poloniex is one of the leading cryptocurrency exchanges. In addition to its exchange and margin trading services, it also allows its traders to lend their coins to others, setting the interest rate and duration of the loan. Because the lending is being done to cover margin positions on the exchange, lenders could face more risk here, especially in volatile markets. Margin maintenance levels are quite low, exposing lenders to the threat of a default. BMJ Score: 4.0
Unchained Capital
Unchained was founded by people who believe that cryptocurrencies have the potential to change the world, but only if they’re useful. These folks decided to build financial products for long-term crypto investors to get more value from their assets today and in the future. That led to the Unchained lending platform, which is unique since it allows users to maintain control of their bitcoin private keys. BMJ Score: 3.5
Lendingblock
Lendingblock allows lenders and borrowers of digital assets have access to securities lending in the crypto markets. Details of all loans are shown on the Lendingblock order book. Built for institutional investors, Lendingblock enables hedge funds, exchanges, asset managers, traders, miners, and market makers to find liquidity, generate additional yield, facilitate arbitrage strategies, settle shorts, and capture directional views of market participants. Lendingblock supports numerous major cryptocurrencies and stablecoins for use as either principal or collateral. BMJ Score: 3.0
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Source: https://www.bitcoinmarketjournal.com/bitcoin-borrowing/
